Best for:
Photography lovers, readers who enjoy indie creatives, LGBT advocates, and nature enthusiasts.
The Essence:
Read Time: ⏰ 4–5 minutes| Mood: 🖼️ Creative & Warm| Weight: 🔈 Conversational & Reflective|
The Vault:
- Quick View
- Meet the Artist
- The Craft & Creative Process
- Behind the Lens & Client Experience
- The Gear & Flow
- Building the Vision & Looking Ahead
- Artist Picks & Storytelling
- Links & Other Info
Chey Aiyana
Nature reminds me to be authentic in my work, to slow down and absorb my surroundings, and to be patient.
The Collaboration:
We hit the road for a full afternoon of photography across some local spots in Central and Southeastern Ohio. Chey and I be making stops at Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve and Dillon State Park. It was a dynamic day in front the lens, where Chey captured everything from eerie vibes to pet shots.
We took full advantage of the autumn vibes to add to Chey’s portfolio and had some fun, too. We put together a dark, atmospheric horror-inspired shoot featuring a pig mask, smoke bombs, and more. Luna also joined us for her very own photoshoot where she was able to show off some of her best Halloween attire as well.
I virtually interviewed Chey to discuss their visual approach, their connection to natural settings, and what drives their work behind the camera. So you could get to know the photographer behind the lens!
Quick View:
Name: Chey
Age: 25
Location: Central Ohio
Pronouns: They / Them
Meet the Artist:
✨To kick things off, tell us a little bit about yourself and what first drew you to photography. What is it about holding a camera and capturing moments that you love the most?
“Hi! My name is Chey Aiyana, and I’m a 25-year-old photographer in central Ohio. My pronouns are they/them; I’m a very fluid person all around.
I’ve been shooting for ten years now. Over ten, if you count the two years in junior high school I took thousands of photos of absolutely everything that caught my eye on a fifth-generation iPod!
When I first got my camera freshman year of high school, I was on top of the world. Holding it felt like I found my calling. As I learned to use it, I found that I love the joy I can bring to those I’m photographing, if it’s portraits. If it’s nature photography, I love the joy I get to instill in others as I share my photograph treasures.
I love making others happy, providing a service in the sense of allowing others to see themselves through my lens.”
The Craft & Creative Process:
✨Every photographer has a distinct visual language. How would you describe your personal shooting and editing style in three words?
“Beautifully organized chaos.”
“I don’t always have a plan in the beginning, but one always forms in the moment. I let the environment and subject speak to me and I receive it through my eyes.”
✨We’ll be out in the woods taking photographs together, how does working in natural, outdoor settings inspire or influence your work?
“I LOVE the outdoors. I LOVE nature. So much.
I wasn’t always this way, but over the last four years I’ve met some really great people that have shown me just how beautiful and rejuvenating natural settings can be, especially for one’s mental health.
Before, though, I mostly shot portraits and the occasional landscape. It was only really the last two years that I began to take my camera out on my hikes.
Nature is absolutely mesmerizing. Everywhere you look, there’s something in every nook and cranny of the forest to keep you interested. Nature reminds me to be authentic in my work, to slow down and absorb my surroundings, and to be patient. Sometimes you really gotta wait for that perfect shot, but it will always be worth it.”
✨What type of shoot or subject gets you the most excited to pick up your camera and start creating? What gets you the least excited?
“I love anything and everything I get to photograph, to be so completely honest with you. I genuinely don’t think I could choose!
- Portraits: I love portrait photography because I get to capture the beauty and uniqueness of my subject.
- Fungi & Flora: I love mushroom photography because I get to capture such an interesting life form, truly an alien that grows from the very ground we walk on. Floral photography simply brings pure joy to my inner child.
The Least Excited? Probably landscapes, simply because it has to be a captivating landscape for me to want to photograph it, honestly. Like, I want to see mountains and waterfalls, not corn fields and large bodies of water.”
Behind the Lens & Client Experience:
✨A lot of people get nervous or feel awkward in front of a camera. How do you help people relax, loosen up, and feel like themselves during a session?
“A great way to help a client relax is to walk them through poses. Do the poses for them; really show them the emotion you’re trying to capture.
Before that, though, before the session even begins, I like to go over what vibe we’re going for with the shoot, and go over inspiration photos from Pinterest or Instagram.
If the client is down, they’re more than welcome to create a mood board for the shoot. I like to really involve my clients at the drawing board, that way they feel comfortable with me, and they are confident in my ability to bring the vision to life.
During the session, it’s also sometimes nice to play some music, curated for relaxation or picked specifically by the client to help them unwind and truly shine.”
✨Planned poses are great, but candid moments often steal the show. How do you spot and capture those unprompted moments in a shoot?
“I’ve been in love with candid moments since before I ever knew how to hold a camera. I feel like spotting them is a superpower of mine, in a way. You have to be observant, and remind yourself to find beauty in the small stuff, the little moments that truly bring life to life. That way you’re always on the lookout for those special seconds that slip away all too soon.
Now, capturing them? That’s the hardest part. When I was younger, I didn’t know how to shoot in manual mode on my camera at all. I used all of the preset settings my camera had to offer.
Something cool about the camera I have, though, it has a LOT of settings to experiment with. I learned a lot of what I know regarding shooting in manual by playing with those presets. One of those presets was meant for capturing movement, and that one in particular was the most fun to play with, simply because I could capture fractions of a second, frozen in time forever.
As I’ve gotten older and graduated to shooting in manual mode on my Nikon, I find picking my own settings, especially shutter speed and aperture, are key to capturing those precious split-seconds.”
The Gear & Flow:
✨ When you’re packing your bag for a shoot, what’s the one piece of gear or tool (besides your main camera) that you never leave home without?
“I never leave my extra 55-200mm lens or my lens filters at home. You never know when you’ll need the extra zoom that lens offers, or when you’ll need a UV protective filter… or even colorized ones.”
Building the Vision & Looking Ahead:
The Learning Curve:
✨ As you build and refine your photography business, what has been the most rewarding challenge or unexpected lesson you’ve learned so far?
“The most rewarding challenge has definitely been reaching out to old friends, family members, and even strangers trying to build a clientele. It’s scary putting yourself out there! But the worst they can do is say no, and then you move on to the next person. This process has taught me so much about advertising and speaking directly to what people really want.”
Dream Concepts:
✨ If you were handed an unlimited budget and zero restrictions for a dream creative shoot, what concept, location, or theme would you execute?
“Oh my god, I’d put together my own fashion show where I’m both the photographer and one of the stylists… like New York Fashion Week, but my own personal creation! I would love to collaborate with small businesses and local artists to really bring it to life.
It would have to be super queer and trans-centered: drag queens, trans men, trans women, queer couples, and gender non-conforming humans, full of bright colors and over-the-top outfits. I also think it would be really cool to shoot a full themed calendar, setting up concepts for each month and playing with props. That would be so much fun.”
The Connection:
✨ When a client opens their final gallery for the first time, what feeling or reaction do you hope they have when looking through their photos?
“I LOVE when my clients have outward reactions exclaiming love for my work. I LOVE when my clients say, ‘Damn, I look good!’ Making people feel comfortable in their own skin and excited about the outcome of their shoot truly fulfills me.”
Community Support:
✨ What is the best way for people in the community to support an emerging photographer like you, even beyond booking a session?
“Follow my photography socials, share and like my posts to help boost them, and tell your friends about me! Word of mouth and real testimonies about my work are what truly help bring new clients in.”
The Goals and Aspirations:
✨ What are your creative goals for the future? Tell us your short-term and long-term aspirations.
- Short-Term: “I would love to just get busier as a photographer. Photography fulfills me in so many ways, so the more often I can do it, the better. I also want to get my name out there and become more well-known.”
- Long-Term: “I want to own a studio space for shoots and to rent out to other photographers. I want to hire models, go full creative mode in the studio, and have my work published. That is a true dream.”
Artist Picks & Storytelling:
✨ Can you tell us about the photos you’ve selected as your best work? What do you love about them, and what was happening behind the scenes?
1. Fairy Realm Hikes:
“This photo was taken on a hike with you, Axton! A few of the ones I’ve chosen are actually from our adventures together. I find this one particularly captivating because of the contrast between light and dark, as well as the stark brightness of the greens. To me at least, it feels like being transported straight into a fairy realm.”
2. Fleeting Black-Eyed Susans:
“Another photo from our hikes together! We stumbled upon a bed of black-eyed Susans along the water. It was gorgeous, and I had to take a moment to capture their fleeting beauty.”
3. Gemstone Mining with Grandma:
“This is my grandma from the sunflower festival my family went to for my birthday. She was doing gemstone mining, which to her is heaven since she loves rocks more than she loves herself! In her bag, she scored this huge amethyst. She was truly elated, and I had to freeze that moment in time forever.”
4. Bumble Bee Models:
“Also from the sunflower festival! That day was an absolute dream. There were so many bumble bees all over the sunflowers, and they were honestly posing for the camera. I got so many cool shots of the bumbles buzzing from flower to flower.”
5. Spotlight at Wolf Run:
“This shot was on a hike at Wolf Run Regional Park with my aunt and our dogs. The sun was truly a paid actor that day, it shone through the trees so perfectly to spotlight that gorgeous yellow flower.”
6. The Ultimate Trio (Mushrooms, Moss & Webs):
“Now this photo has to be my all-time favorite nature shot I’ve ever gotten, yet again from a hike with you, Axton! Capturing such a cool composition from that angle was difficult, but I’m so stoked with how it came out. I mean, come on! A mushroom, moss, and a spiderweb all in one single photo?”
7. Mastering the Settings:
“I chose this last one because I think it’s a great display of my ability to manipulate my camera settings. I’ve gotten really good at dialing in the perfect exposure for almost every shot.”
Links & Other Info:
You can use the links below to support Chey and their photography. Currently they are offering $20 (USD) mini photoshoots. You will have a thirty minute session and receive fifteen edited photos.
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